IMPORTANT
You cannot add students while a class is in session.

How do I block or allow a website?                  

To block or allow URLs in a class, click the Allow or Block button and type the URL in the Input URL text box. Click Add Field + to add more URLs, then click Block Page or Allow Page to apply. 

The Block Domain and Allow Domain checkboxes are selected by default. Leave them selected to block or allow the entire domain; clear them to act only on the specific URL you entered. 

For example, entering www.amazon.com with the checkbox selected adds *.amazon.com to the Blocked URLs section, blocking the entire domain. Clearing the checkbox adds only www.amazon.com, so students may still reach other subdomains such as smile.amazon.com or music.amazon.com. 

Blocksi uses the asterisk (*) as a wildcard for one or more unknown characters (for example, www.google.* matches www.google.com and www.google.co.uk). 

To review your blocked and allowed URLs, click the down arrow at the far right of the Block/Allow bar. To carry these lists over to the next class session, select the Keep URLs on Next Session checkbox. 

Why can't I see student screens?              

First, make sure you have started your class session by clicking the START button. 

If you still can't see your students' screens, the next step depends on the color of the wifi icon above each affected student tile.

Gray Wi-Fi Icon 

A gray icon means the Blocksi extension was not pushed to the student's device, or is currently not active. 

1. Ask the student to log out of their device and log back in to re-authenticate.
                               
2. If that doesn't work, check whether the Blocksi extension is installed on the student's browser. It should appear when you navigate to chrome://extensions, or under the puzzle icon in the top right of the browser.
   
   
3. If the extension is missing, your IT admin will need to deploy it to the student's user account from the Google Admin Console.           

If the issue persists, contact support and we'll open a ticket so we can reach out to your IT department.

Green Wi-Fi Icon 

A green icon means the extension is working, so missing screens are usually caused by a setting on the administrator's side. 

1. Exclude the affected student from the class, and include them back using the orange slider above their student tile.
                               
2. If that doesn't work, ask the student to reboot their device and log in again to re-authenticate.

If the issue persists, contact support and we'll open a ticket so we can reach out to your IT department.

How do I allow only a specific site (for an assignment)?          

To restrict students to a specific site (for example, during a test) use Assessment mode. This locks down the student browser so they can only visit the URLs you list, while letting them sign in, click links, navigate tabs, and play videos within the allowed site. 

To set up an Assessment

1. Open the Assessment window and enter the site you want students to use in the Enforced URLs section.
                               
2. In the Allowed URLs section on the right, allow the same domain using a wildcard (asterisk) before and after the domain name, for example *Edgenuity*, *classroom*, or *mathxl*. For instance, if you enter www.purple.com under Enforced URLs, enter *purple.com* under Allowed URLs.
   
   
3. If the site relies on additional URLs to function (sign-in providers, video hosts, etc.) add those to the Assessment configuration as well. Anything not listed will be blocked.    

TIP
You can use presets for popular educational platforms by clicking Web Apps or Assessment, and select a platform from our preset library.

NOTE
To learn more about Assessment mode, refer to Assessments.

How do I enable/disable student chat?

To enable or disable the chat feature for a class: 

1. Open the class by clicking its tile.
                           
2. Click Student Options in the class header.
                           
3. Check or uncheck the Enable Quick Chat Feature.
                           
4. Click Confirm to save your changes. 

Can I schedule classes to run automatically?               

Yes, you can schedule classes for the entire school year so they start and end automatically. For example, a 90-minute Chemistry set to 8:00 AM Monday through Friday will run automatically from 8:00 to 9:30 each of those days. 

To set up the school year 

1. On your Teacher Dashboard, click SHOW / HIDE SCHEDULE and turn on the automatic class schedule.
                           
2. Click Class Scheduler, select your start and end dates from the First School Week and Last School Week drop-downs, then click Set School Year. A weekly template grid appears, with all weeks set to the Custom Template (orange) by default.
                           
3. Pick a template from the Select Week Template drop-down, click each week you want to apply it to, and click Save. 
                               

To set up Week A and Week B templates 

1. Click the Week A or Week B tab.
                               
2. Choose a class from the Select Class drop-down, check the days it runs, and enter the start time.
   
   
3. Click Add Class. Repeat for each class, and for any class that meets more than once a day.
                               
4. Click Close when finished.

IMPORTANT
If your school doesn't use a block schedule, use Week A for your standard weekly schedule and leave Custom weeks for holidays or breaks.

Can I block a site for just one student?             

There are several methods available to restrict a single student. 

1. Enforce Page
   The most direct way to lock a student to specific sites is using the Enforce Page feature. Click the lightning bolt icon on the student's tile, enter the URL in the Input URL... text box, and click Enforce Page. You will be prompted to set a duration in minutes; once confirmed, all other open tabs will close, and the student will be restricted to the enforced URL until the timer expires or you manually cancel the action. To enforce multiple URLs simultaneously, click Add Field + to add more entries.
                               
2. Assessment Mode
   You can apply Assessment mode to an individual student to limit their browsing to a specific set of sites. Click the assessment icon (located to the right of the pause button) under the student's tile to begin the configuration.            
   
   
3. Group Policy
   You can assign a different filtering policy to a group containing that student. This policy must be created in advance with the specific URLs you wish to block or allow added to its Exception List.
                               
4. Penalty Box
   The Penalty Box feature allows your Blocksi Administrator to apply a dedicated policy with custom URL restrictions to a single student via the Admin Dashboard. If you require this level of restriction, please contact your IT Administrator. 

How do I remove a student from a class?           

To remove a student permanently, click the student's tile, then click the Dismiss from class button. A confirmation prompt appears. Click Yes. The student is immediately removed from the class. 

If you wish to remove the student temporarily, click the Exclude/Include switch in the top-right corner of the student tile, by the student’s name.

How do I save my block/allow list?              

To view your blocked and allowed URLs, click the down arrow at the far right of the Block/ Allow bar. From this menu, you can save your lists in a few ways:

• To keep your current lists for the next session of the same class, select the Keep URLs on next session checkbox.       

• To reuse a list across classes, click Save list in the source class, then click Load list in any other class to apply it.         

• You can also export your Block/Allow lists as a CSV file by clicking Export list as CSV. You can then import the lists in another class, or share the lists with other teachers.

Can I add another teacher to my class?

You can add up to three co-teachers to a class, though not while a class is in session. 

To add a co-teacher to your class

1. Click the Teachers button to open the Add Co-Teachers window, then type the first part of the teacher's email address in the Search teacher... text box and click the search icon. Matching teachers will appear in the results.
                               
2. Click the + icon in the Add column next to the teacher you want to add, and they'll appear beneath the Selected teacher (1/3) label.
                                     

How can I view class or student history to see what a student has been doing? 

To review what a student has been doing, you have two options depending on whether you need analytics or a playback of their session. 

• If the class is currently in session, click the Insights button. You can search for a specific student from the top of the panel. If the class has already been dismissed, click the orange Class History button on the class tile, then select the session you'd like to view analytics for.       

• Blocksi keeps a record of every student screen viewed during in-session classes from the last 30 days. To replay them, start a class, click inside a student's tile, and click the third icon on the left. Select the session you want from the Select Session dropdown, click Replay Screenshots, then click Play to start the replay. 

Find even more information on how to use Blocksi as a teacher by visiting our Help Centre.